Nemo wrote:As Asia regains financial dominance exports of Buddhism should shrink in North America and Europe. Look at the explosion of Dharma in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. High Lamas love money and it can now be found much closer to home. They won't come here as often. Some will not even bother to learn English. We were important because Tibetan refugees needed money and a safe place to live. It may be me but the new generation is not as great as the last one that is passing away with all it's great Masters.

Immigration will also slow and even start to reverse. Much of the surge was from Buddhist immigrants. That is probably over for good. I even consider going to Asia for better career opportunities.

While it appears there is an "explosion" of Buddhism in some places, it remains to be seen if it is long-term or not. For example, in Taiwan Buddhism is generally thriving, but whether the younger generation takes as serious an interest in it as their parents did remains uncertain. The assumption is that after a bit of life experience they'll feel attracted to the community support and practice that Buddhism offers.

I recommend immigration to Asia. I have a much higher standard of living here than I did back home in Canada. In Canada without a car you are socially and economically handicapped. Here public transport is clean, efficient and full of normal people (not full of crazies). Cost of living is a lot lower. A lot more opportunities for meeting Buddhist teachers. Doesn't get to -40'c during the winter. You can eat mango, watermelon and guava everyday for cheap.

But it's not easy to immigrate to Taiwan. For one thing their web site in DC is not really understandable. It is possible to immigrate to Taiwan as a student though as has been discussed here.

kirtu wrote:But it's not easy to immigrate to Taiwan. For one thing their web site in DC is not really understandable. It is possible to immigrate to Taiwan as a student though as has been discussed here.

Kirt

Really? My friend applied for a five year work permission visa in California and got it without any issues. If you're an educated westerner they're happy to take you. Heck just getting hired as an English teacher is enough for a 12 month extendable work visa.

Hong Kong and Singapore incidentally also have special visas for interested immigrants. If you're educated and have work experience it doesn't seem so hard. My friend got a work visa in Singapore just by getting hired after responding to a newspaper ad while on a work visa.

If a company hires you they'll sort out the work visa. Most countries around here (Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and even China) are easy to move to as a western expat. As an African or Indian maybe no so easy, but you have an American passport, so it won't be a big deal.

East Asian countries have better standards of living than most western countries now. You might not be able to live in a giant house with SUVs parked out front, but most societies here are stable and safe. You don't have junkies harassing people on public transport. There are no youth gangs to be seen anywhere. Government offices generally work like clockwork. There are no guns and mass shootings.

kirtu wrote:But it's not easy to immigrate to Taiwan. For one thing their web site in DC is not really understandable. It is possible to immigrate to Taiwan as a student though as has been discussed here.

Kirt

Really? My friend applied for a five year work permission visa in California and got it without any issues.

One of the issues is even knowing that a five year work visa exists. It doesn't show up on the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, San Francisco web site and the site they direct you to to get visa applications going doesn't have it listed either. That site has visitor visa, resident visa, diplomatic visa and courtesy visa. There is another category for work visa (Visa Application for Foreign Workers) but the only nationalities listed there are Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia and the Philippines - so that visa is a gastarbeiter kind of visa (a visa for low wage and disposable work available to a select group of relatively low wage countries).

If you're an educated westerner they're happy to take you. Heck just getting hired as an English teacher is enough for a 12 month extendable work visa.

And where is the information on this? It doesn't appear on their website (BTW the DC office is really not understandable - the SF office is at least clear in their categories).

Singapore will be doomed sooner or later because of a lack of natural resources though. I wouldn't advise you to settle here long term -- make your money here but buy property/land somewhere where they actually grow their own food.

Peak oil will kill Singapore and other things like the water agreement with Malaysia expiring within the next 50 years makes moving here best considered as a medium-term option.